Nice place and environment! Loved the veggie gyoza and the Plum wine was sooooo good! Totally recommend it. Wanna come back for more Japanese food
Had a fantastic dinner last night! We had a very rowdy table of 10 yet the staff made us feel completely at home and the service was outstanding. Will definitely be back.
Got to try them out at the Lunar Markets. They only take cards as cashless this year. Service was quick as not busy. I went with the One Bite Beef. There were 7 tender pieces of beef for $16 so it is slightly pricy but they were of good quality and the flavour was yummy.
The decor is totally kitsch and the menus try a bit too hard to the point of being cringe-worthy, but Mamasan serves some pretty tasty Pan-Asian cuisine.
I usually avoid places like this as they tend to cater to those less informed about the cuisines on offer, but the dishes here - whether they're Japanese, Chinese or Korean 'themed' - boast some surprisingly authentic flavours. The raw fish and sashimi dishes are also very fresh, which is much appreciated.
Mamasan would score a 4.5 from me if they changed up their menu more often, toned down the Orientalism and perhaps were a shade less pricey (come on, $9.50 for defrosted edamame is criminal).
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Walking the back streets of Bondi we came upon Bad Mamas. I thought this was the name of the restaurant until I realised I was sitting in the lounge of the bar area which is called Bad Mamas.
A very friendly waiter (Manuka) came up and asked to take our drinks orders. I said we were here to dine in so he promptly organised a wonderful lounge seat - over in the dining area which was perfect (on a raised stage)!
The restaurant is beautifully decorated in a Bohemian style. Something you might find in suburban Paris with lots of comfortable couches, lounges and a delightful ambiance crossmatched with a 1920's Shanghai Opium den complete with burning joss sticks.
The menus have a selection of innovative dishes ranging from freshly made Sashimi, Sushi, Charcoal Yakitori Dumplings, Salads or the Chef's specials such as Duck Pancakes, Chilli Mongolian Lamb or Chilli Chicken.
There is an Asian Tapas menu offering such delights as Edamame Beans, Homemade Miso Soup, BBQ Pork Buns, Beef Dumplings, Sesame Prawn Rolls, Mixed Prawn & Veggie Steamed Dumplings or some spicy Buffalo Wings.
So many options - I needed to ask for help. The wait staff are extremely helpful, knowledgeable and take time out to make your dining experience the most enjoyable.
What did we order?
Edamame Beans: These Edamame Beans were the best have ever tasted because they were freshly steamed & spiced with garlic, pepper & sea salt. So much nicer than the average cold serving. ($10)
From the Yaki BBQ Grill - Mongolian chilli lamb cutlets. These BBQ grilled spicy Lamb cutlets were exquisitely served with stir~fried with chilli, black beans, cumin seeds, coriander & peanuts ($25)
From the Chef's recommendations I ordered:
The traditional Sichuan popular Chilli chicken dish recreated by Mamasan. The Chicken fillets are stir fried with Sichuan red peppercorns, dried chillis & our famous home~made chilli oil. Served with Japanese chilli nest & fresh lime. Caution - Don't eat the red chillies as they are very hot! ($25)
Pork Belly Sliders
These are becoming a feature in a lot of restaurants lately. Mamasan has recreated this favourite by placing plump slabs of pork belly slapped between ever-so-soft buns. A homemade Taiwanese sauce and apple wasabi accompany the dish. Usually only two are served for $25 - but I ordered an extra one as 3 of us were dining.
Drinks menu is comprehensive ranging from top Japanese beers, Wines (Red and White), Cocktails to Sakis.
I chose the Drunken Poet ~ Rihaku Tokubetsu (Shimane) which is one of Japan's best Junmai sakes. I normally don't like Saki - but this drop changed my mind. ($20-$81) depending on serving size.
No room for desert this time. The menu highlights the signature dish the Gooey - a very gooey runny chocolate cake served with Vanilla Ice Cream. ($12.50)
Other tempers include warm Sticky Rice, Egg Custard Buns or Asian Green Tea green and Sesame ice cream which comes with homemade caramel sauce. ($8-10)
Verdict: Expensive but worth it. The flavours are out of this world. Just be careful of those red hot chillies! The staff were fabulous and turned our visit into a dining occasion. We will return definitely.
One of my favourite restaurants. So many great dishes and flavour combinations. This is our go to spot when friends and family are in town and it's always a hit. One bite beef, fish on fire- two of the best things you can eat.
Doesn't matter how many times I go to this place, it never fails to amaze. The pork bun us arguably the best pork bun I've ever had, and the cocktails just get better and better. Started with a bloody mary, ended with a lychee mojito. This is definitely a place to visit
Had it yesterday with my friends at the one in Surry Hills. Accidentally I went to bondi today for dinnerš³ Mamasan popup in my mind when we were wondering what too eat haha. Enjoyed the time, the lighting with friendsš all the unordered menu is on the wanting to eat list hahahaššš“
Mamasan is one of the most popular restaurants in the area, and certainly with good reason. Inside, it's decorated in a trendy yet traditional Japanese style. The food is exquisite- some of the things I ate here I had never tried before. Best eye fillet I've ever had, no question. Beautiful mock tails and cocktails too, really makes you feel like you're on vacation. Each food is taken and made unique through their flavours and distinctive presentation. The food always came out steaming and fresh, and very fast with excellent and accommodating staff. I'd highly recommend this lovely place for a night with a great vibe and great people!
Some of the nicest Japanese had, everything was amazing!' From the outside it looks a bit odd but don't let this deceive you, the food is out of this world.
One of Bondiās most popular restaurants has opened in Surry Hills. Youāll find Mamasan 2.0 at the end of Gelato Messinaās ever-present queue on Crown Street. Inside this visually striking, three storey bar and restaurant is a collection of eclectic art and furniture that provides a modern yet time-worn atmosphere. LikeĀ the sashimi bar built from an 80 year old wooden dinghy and a giant Japanese Maple tree illuminated by an incredible blue light installation of Japanese blossoms. Itās a great spot to sit back and enjoy a cocktail or two and people watch Surry Hillsā most popular diningĀ precinct.
I had an AMAZING experience at Mamasan! Excellent food, some of the best I've ever tasted in my life. Excellent choice of drinks, especially cocktails and exotic saki blends. The decor is brilliant, and there's a lot to marvel at in terms of quirky collectibles and post-war antiques. If you want a good time with good food, try Mamasan. It's honestly awe-inspiring how good it was. My whole family was surly impressed at my find and bummed they hadn't come sooner.
Great food, worst service. One bite beef was amazing! Other food was good including schezuan chicken, dumplings and The Gooey dessert. But the service was the worst I've experienced in a while - the waitress gave us dessert menus then "forgot" to take our order and we spotted her sitting down eating her dinner.
LOVE this place! Friendly, .... LOVE this place!
Friendly, attentive staff. Great food. Great atmosphere. Great location. We will DEFINITELY be back with friends!
Like it. I have been to this place a number of times and love the food. The service is a bit inconsistent, never know what you will get. Every dish we have had pretty much has been tasty including the edamame that they give you to start. Pretty expensive but my friends and I like it and keep going back.
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Best restaurant in Bondi - Amazing place. Having tried all the restaurants in Bondi, this is now the one place I return to on a regular (around once a week) basis.
The food is excellent, and every meal is special and interesting. One bite beef and the dumplings being the stand-outs for me. Even the edamame is a cut above what you would expect! It`s the one place I`ve been to where I will happily pick and choose different courses instead of selecting a staple favourite.
If the food wasn`t enough, the beer and sake selection from Japan is phenomenal, and I would happily go back there regularly just for the red miso beer.
I notice a few comments on the service below, and yes it has occasionally been a little slow / variable depending on who is serving (we know them all now) and how busy it is, but on average it`s still very good, and should by no means deter you from sampling the great atmosphere, food and drinks.
Adam (the owner - who is married to a Japanese lady) regularly travels to Japan to sample the latest boutique beers and sake and brings back the best of both so the offerings are continuously updating.
Although the food and drink is not ridiculously expensive, it`s not cheap either, and I wouldn`t expect it to be with the quality you get. I never thought I`d be a regular at a restaurant but I just can`t get enough of the experience.
Cannot recommend strongly enough.
Great food but little bit expensive. I have been there just once but was really satisfied with what I ordered. I have ordered salmon, which was really great, however, I was little bit disappointed that as a main meal it didn't have any sides such as veggie and therefore, the meal was quite expensive.
Very good and interesting meals. The only thing is that it is quite expensive for tapas. So you can't really want to have tapas dinner there unless you have really big budget.
LOVE LOVE LOVE this restaurant. I swear by this place such a great vibe such amazing food my favourite is 'One Bite Beef' the most tender mouthwatering meal, every meal is special no average meals at all!! Drinks r great wine list is tops and sake in all flavours. This is my go to place for all my celebrations or when I just miss a great wine bar and tapas!! Number One
Yummy Cha. Great food/atmosphere - the prawn/mint spring rolls and BBQ pork buns were outstanding and service was good even on a very busy Friday night. A bit overpriced but the overall experience makes it worth it!
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Love this Place!. Trendy, somewhat quirkly little bar with wonderful atmosphere and interesting and yummy food. We went there one Saturday night and were lucky to get the last table. I sat in the wagon wheel chair, which added to the occasion. :)
Hope to eat there again when I'll be holidaying in Sydney next February.
Feb 2012
We went back for dinner on our recent holiday in Bondi and the food was as good as, if not better than, on our last visit. We had what was probably the worst table in the place; tiny and crammed in next to other tables of people at the back of the restaurant on the aisle, and it was hot, but none of that detracted from the food. Love it, and will definitely be going back next visit.
30/10/2012
Had the pleasure of eating at Mamasan again last Friday night while holidaying in Sydney, and found it to be just as great as ever. We had the Mamasan chips. These are a must: baby potatoes steamed then lightly fried, served with crunchy fresh basil and wasabi mayo. Yum! Edamame beans with garlic, freshly cracked black pepper and sea salt. You'll never want regular edamame beans after trying these. Veggie gyozas, steamed then pan fried, served with ginger and vinegar sauce. Love 'em! And the steamed mixed prawn and veggie dumplings, served with Sichuan chilli sauce. Really, really good. On other visits we've had the miso marinated salmon which is smoked between cedar wood paper and served on glowing embers - so tender and delicious - the vegetable shallot pancakes and the king prawn and mint spring rolls.
We thought we'd need to order more, but the servings are quite generous and we couldn't have fitted anything else in. They were working on a new wine list which was set to start the following day. We had an Italian sav blanc/semillion, I believe. Can't remember the name, but it was most enjoyable. I'll update when their new wine list is online.
Cleopatra Prevatt-Palmer
+4.5
Yummi-cha. Great food, atmosphere and staff! We go here on a regular basis!
Gluten Free Dumplings - yes!. I have had one great experience here and one very average experience. Both times with the same date.
The great experience was friendly staff, great wine, great sake, great vibe.
The average experience was slow, impersonal service, difficult to get a waiters attention and pretentious clientele being pandered to.
The average experience has got me thinking that this restaurant is really too expensive for what it is, basically you're paying for where it is. Yet after the great experience money didn't cross my mind and I was glad to have found it.
If I go back for a third time it will be for the delicious gluten free dumplings! Fingers crossed the bad service was a one off.
Great service and very interesting eats.. Three of us wandered in unannounced on a Friday night. The place was packed but they went out of their way and managed to find room for us at the bar, near the semi-open kitchen. Best seats in the house. Great success!
Service was great, the food was interesting and delicious without being challenging, and the wine list was brief but thoughtful. The three of us ate and drank very well. It was my turn to pay and I was very pleasantly surprised by the bill considering the food, wine, beer, and sake that we consumed. A really interesting fusion of Taiwan and Japan and Australia. Check it out.
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